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This is it. You’ve begun taking steps towards your goals and you have gotten an outpour of support from people everywhere. It feels so good to get confirmation that you are headed in the right direction. But what happens in the silence? What happens when the only noise is the silent thoughts in your head telling you this dream of yours is not worth it? You push through. Here are a few little encouraging tips to get you through this week’s grind. When we forget to do these things, I feel like we experience burnout and giving up becomes more of a reality.

Even the great inventor Nicola Tesla never received the recognition he deserved in his lifetime but his inventions affect every aspect of our lives today.

Don’t expect quick results.

Did you know that the highly successful dancing violinist, Lindsey Stirling was repeatedly discouraged and told that she wasn’t a great violinist? Judges warned her that she needed to stop doing what she has since become iconic for; dancing while playing the violin. Even the great inventor Nicola Tesla never received the recognition he deserved in his lifetime but his inventions affect every aspect of our lives today. Whether you are working towards your college degree or wanting to make a big difference in this world, do not expect quick results. Don’t let the silence and discouragement of today ultimately push you to give up. Give it some time. I believe in you.

Celebrate small successes.

You may not have yielded a full garden but celebrate that you’ve begun planting. Celebrate that how to follow your dream is no longer the fear the keeps you up at night but instead, it is what the next step is. Celebrate that you are no longer a slave to what others think of you. Celebrate that you turned in the application. Celebrate that you now wake up at 8 instead of 9. Celebrate that even though your followers are small, they are engaged. Celebrate small successes and be proud of yourself. You are following your dreams and you should be proud of yourself.

Comparing yourself to what others have achieved puts you on the path of self-destruction.

Let go.

It’s time to let go. Do you have that one habit that keeps you crippled? Maybe it’s reading sappy love stories that keep you dissatisfied with your own loving relationship or staying up too late and not getting enough sleep? One of the biggest things that I have to let go of is comparing. Comparing yourself to what others have achieved puts you on the path of self-destruction. Let go. You are uniquely you for a reason.

Do you have that one person that discourages you or makes you doubt your decision? Let them go. Letting go doesn’t always mean erasing them from your lives immediately. Sometimes, it means distancing yourself and slowly pulling away. I can not emphasize more the importance of letting go of toxic people. Those who dwell in negativity will only invite more negativity into their lives. Let go and move on to a more positive, promising future. You deserve it.

Don’t feel entitled.

Entitlement is a dangerous mindset. Believing that anyone owes us anything just because we exist is dead wrong. We have to work hard to get where we want. Too many times, I see people give up on or never even pursue their dreams because their dreams weren’t served to them. We need to change that mindset. No one has to purchase our products or services or read our posts or watch our videos or even listen to us because they do not owe us anything. If we pursue our dreams with entitlement in our hearts, burnout will happen and we will be in danger of putting our dreams on a very high and very dark shelf to be forgotten.

Take some time to appreciate.

I can think of so many things to be thankful for but sometimes, it’s easier to think about what isn’t going right. It’s good to take some time to thank those loved ones that have supported us through our journey and show our appreciation for them. It’s just as good to take some time to appreciate all of the amenities available to us that make it possible for us to reach for our dreams. With a grateful heart comes appreciation.

Unplug. Reflect.

One of the things that have caused me to experience burnout is failing to unplug and reflect from time to time. Following our dreams can get so exciting; especially when we begin to see results but it should never be at the cost of our own health and sanity. I’m a firm believer that staying plugged into our electronics does not serve our mental health. Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful for how far we’ve come in technology and personally love using it to keep in touch with our friends and family. The resources I can find on the internet is also extraordinary but it can become overwhelming. How can we appreciate the beauty around us if we don’t have the time to look at and enjoy it? Just as important is taking the time to reflect. It’s so easy to become so consumed with what’s getting positive feedback that we can easily forget our own passions. At times, what we’ve pursued won’t always bring us the joy we thought it would. In those moments, we can reflect and reroute our plans to better fit our own purpose. This isn’t called failure, this is being in touch with yourself. We can’t find true joy if we are not being true to our dreams.

Where ever you are in your journey, I hope you feel encouraged today and know that whatever obstacles come your way, you can overcome them.

With so much love, Ann.

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In today’s episode of Create and Play Minecraft with Me, Fair Katrenelje will teach you the basics of Minecraft. Watch her make her way through her first day in survival mode. Afterward, watch her be a chicken whisperer and feed her adorable goats.

Going by her screen name: Fair Katrenelje, she is a 6-year-old girl who lives on a farm, loves to read, learn, and play Minecraft! In this segment, you will get to either make a craft or snack with her as well as enjoy some Minecraft time. You’ll also get to meet her awesome farm animals!

Filled Cup’s goal in creating this channel is to provide a safe space for children to watch and learn with another child just like them. The internet can be a dangerous place for children. We hope to be a positive light to young viewers.

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Well, it’s real now. We officially live in Minnesota and are living the dream. Okay, we are just beginning, but we are so grateful!

First and foremost, we need to give a very special shout-out to everyone who came together to help during our moving process. Words can’t express how much we appreciate your act of selflessness. Thank you!

New Life

It has been a month since we moved to our new home state and here’s what’s happened so far!

We explored the cities…

We had serious discussions about the set up of Lana’s fort in our backyard…

We continued school lessons…

We explored Rum River…

We began raising chicks!

(Meet one of our thirteen chicks.)

(Here’s another one!)

It’s been an eventful month full of preparation for our exciting future.

Where Our Farm Dream Began

It all started with chickens. Chickens were our gateway into farming. When we were given our first four chickens at our old home in California, we didn’t realize how much we would enjoy them, or how much more time we would spend outside because of them. If you’re outside, you may as well start a small vegetable garden. If you enjoy all that, it’s not hard to become interested in farming and animal husbandry.

We began watching a YouTube Vlogger named Justin Rhodes, and having even bigger dreams. Permaculture is a fascinating set of ideas that mesh so well with our interest in sustainable agriculture and self-sufficiency. Then we found the Urban Farmer, Curtis Stone. Here was a man with a highly successful organic vegetable farm in Canada, producing informative content on YouTube. Dreams became possibilities. Farming an enormous piece of land with tractors and big irrigation pipes is unobtainable, and not desirable, but a small intensive organic farm with direct market access is within reach for many of us. Mr. Stone, and another Canadian farmer, Jean-Martin Fortier, have videos and books available that spell it all out for us.

Testing out our broadfork

Learning about our new seeding tool

Inspired, and blessed with opportunity, we began a nation-wide search for the perfect place to test ourselves. Our criteria were simple: a house that didn’t need much work, one acre of flat land, and plenty of water, all for a reasonable price. We found it in Minnesota. Now armed with all the basics, we are gearing up to take over the local farmer’s market. Small scale intensive organic farming with direct sales to restaurants and individuals is called Market Gardening, and the time for it is now.

In our next post, we are excited to share with you the basics of Market Gardening, and the equipment and planning needed for a successful business for environmentally minded entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in being self-sufficient, or surviving the coming apocalypse long-term.

The Home Business

Anna here!

Over the last few weeks, we have been preparing to launch an Etsy shop as a creative outlet and income source. I have always had a strong desire to start a home business in order to keep my husband home more and make our farm dream come true. After a lot of prayer and thought, we were given this opportunity to do it. Inspired by a few YouTube Vloggers and one especially successful homeschool Vlogger, Jamerill, with the support of my husband, I am going for it.

Today, I launch my Etsy Shop! We will be selling fun little paper products! Click here to check it out!

Until next time…

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